Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing

Impact of an integrated disease-specific nursing care model on parental anxiety and depression in severe hypospadias patients in China: a randomized controlled trial: Ruijuan Wu, Lucai Jia, Biyu Ding, Ying Li, Yaqing Cao, Zhaojun Shi, Yanfang Yang; J Korean Acad Nurs 2025;55(3):327-341. Published online August 12, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4040/jkan.24147

Abstract PDF ePub: Purpose
This study aimed to explore the effects of an integrated disease-specific nursing care model on alleviating perioperative and post-surgical anxiety and depression in parents of children with severe hypospadias.
Methods
Parents of children with severe hypospadias were recruited and randomly allocated into a control group (n=87), which received standard nursing care, and an intervention group (n=93), which was given an integrated disease-specific nursing intervention in addition to standard care. Parental anxiety and depression were measured using the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) at admission, discharge, and 6-month follow-up post-surgery.
Results
A linear mixed-effects model showed that SAS and SDS scores in the intervention group decreased to a significantly greater extent over time, from admission to follow-up, compared to the control group. Post-hoc analysis showed a trend for increased parental anxiety and depression among patients with complications at discharge and follow-up for the control group. Meanwhile, the intervention group exhibited a trend for decreased parental anxiety and depression among patients with complications at discharge and follow-up.
Conclusion
The integrated disease-specific nursing model significantly alleviated parental anxiety and depression over time compared to standard care, highlighting its effectiveness in supporting families of children with severe hypospadias. Notably, the intervention appeared to mitigate the negative emotional impact of postoperative and follow-up complications, suggesting its potential as a targeted approach to improve both emotional well-being and overall care outcomes.

531 View
46 Download

Effects of an agro-healing program on depression, stress, and cognitive function in older adults: a quasi-experimental study: Gyu Yeon Park, Kwang Ok Lee; J Korean Acad Nurs 2025;55(3):342-352. Published online August 21, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4040/jkan.25058

Abstract PDF ePub: Purpose
This study aimed to evaluate the effects of an agro-healing program on depression, stress, and cognitive function in older adults.
Methods
A quasi-experimental, nonequivalent control group pretest–posttest design was used. The study was conducted from July 16 to September 6, 2024. Sixty-two individuals aged 65 or older residing in Gimcheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do, were recruited according to the selection criteria (31 in the experimental group and 31 in the control group). The final analysis included 30 participants in each group. The program was delivered by one main instructor (a healing farmer) and three assistants. The pretest assessed general characteristics, the Geriatric Depression Scale Short Form-Korean Version, Stress Response Inventory-Modified Form, and Cognitive Impairment Screening Test. The experimental group participated in the agro-healing program once a week for 90 minutes over 8 weeks. The posttest included the same measurements as the pretest. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS ver. 23.0.
Results
The experimental group, which participated in the healing agriculture program, showed reduced depression (F=7.97, p=.007) and stress (F=282.70, p<.001) and improved cognitive function (F=10.12, p=.002) compared to the control group.
Conclusion
The findings suggest that the agro-healing program is an effective intervention for reducing depression and stress and improving cognitive function in older adults. We propose its use to promote health and prevent dementia in this population.

504 View
44 Download

Prenatal psychosocial factors and postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder in low-risk postnatal women: a longitudinal study: Jung Hee Yeo, So Yeon Park; J Korean Acad Nurs 2025;55(3):353-363. Published online August 21, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4040/jkan.25027

Abstract PDF ePub: Purpose
This study aimed to identify prenatal psychosocial factors influencing the development of postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in both short-term (4–6 weeks postpartum) and long-term (4–6 and 14–18 weeks postpartum) assessments using the wheel model.
Methods
This study employed a longitudinal design with 359 women in their third trimester who received care at two maternity hospitals in City B. Surveys were used to measure depression, anxiety, resilience, and pregnancy-related PTSD during the third trimester (n=318). Postpartum PTSD was assessed at 4–6 weeks (n=198) and at 14–18 weeks postpartum (n=156). Data were analyzed using the t-test, chi-square test, and logistic regression.
Results
The prevalence of short-term postpartum PTSD was 32.7%, and that of long-term PTSD was 19.9%. The risk of short-term PTSD increased with higher pregnancy-related PTSD symptoms (odds ratio [OR], 1.04; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02–1.07), higher prenatal resilience (OR, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.00–1.18), and lower social support (OR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.87–0.99). Similarly, the risk of long-term PTSD increased with higher pregnancy-related PTSD (OR, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.04–1.13), higher prenatal resilience (OR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.06–1.34), and low educational attainment (OR, 6.75; 95% CI, 1.03–44.30).
Conclusion
The high prevalence of short- and long-term postpartum PTSD highlights the need for systematic screening and interventions for prenatal factors, including pregnancy-related PTSD, social support, resilience, and education level. Therefore, it is necessary to alleviate pregnancy-related PTSD and strengthen social support during prenatal care to prevent postpartum PTSD. Furthermore, women with high resilience should also be targeted in these interventions, because they can also develop postpartum PTSD.

366 View
33 Download

Effects of social support on organizational commitment among experienced nurses experiencing department rotation: the mediating effect of organizational socialization: Young Jun Jang, Jeong A Jeong, Yu Seung Ban, Seon Hwa Park, Eun Jee Lee; J Korean Acad Nurs 2025;55(3):364-376. Published online August 18, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4040/jkan.25042

Abstract PDF ePub: Purpose
This study explored the mediating role of organizational socialization in the relationship between social support and organizational commitment among nurses in hospitals who had experienced department rotation.
Methods
A descriptive survey design was used with 202 nurses from a tertiary hospital who had experienced department rotation within the past 12 months. Data were collected via an online questionnaire from August 1 to August 30, 2024. Analyses included frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression. The mediating effect was tested using IBM SPSS WIN ver. 23.0 and the PROCESS macro (model 4) with 10,000 bootstrap resamples.
Results
Organizational socialization partially mediated the relationship between social support and organizational commitment (B=.21; bootstrapped 95% confidence interval, 0.12–0.32).
Conclusion
The findings suggest that both social support and organizational socialization play essential roles in improving nurses’ organizational commitment following department rotation. Thus, practical programs, such as mentoring systems, should be implemented that both enhance social support and actively promote organizational socialization. These efforts have the potential to help nurses adjust more effectively to new units and ultimately improve retention and performance within healthcare organizations.

401 View
46 Download

Job stress levels and coping among hospital nurses: a latent profile analysis: Myungji Kim, Hyunkyung Choi; J Korean Acad Nurs 2025;55(3):377-387. Published online August 22, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4040/jkan.25061

Abstract PDF ePub: Purpose
This study aimed to identify job stress levels and coping profiles among hospital nurses, explore the factors influencing profile classification, and determine whether levels of job embeddedness and happiness varied among the profiles.
Methods
Data were collected through an online survey of 325 hospital nurses, and latent profiles were identified via latent profile analysis. The R3STEP (three-step auxiliary variable approach) method was used to examine the factors influencing the latent profiles, and one-way analysis of variance was conducted to analyze differences in levels of job embeddedness and happiness.
Results
Three job stress and coping profiles were identified: (1) the “moderate stress-balanced coping group”, characterized by moderate levels of job stress and moderate use of all coping strategies; (2) the “high stress-emotional coping group”, with high job stress and primary use of emotional display strategies; and (3) the “low stress-adaptive coping group, with low job stress and the utilization of a variety of coping strategies. Workplace location and monthly income influenced the classification of latent profiles. Nurses working in metropolitan areas and those with lower monthly incomes were more likely to be classified into the high stress-emotional coping group than other groups. The levels of job embeddedness and happiness were highest in the low stress-adaptive coping group and lowest in the high stress-emotional coping group.
Conclusion
The results of this study indicate the need to develop strategies that offer diverse stress-coping programs and support nurses in effectively utilizing coping methods that best suit their individual needs.

417 View
41 Download

Media discourse on physician assistant nurses in South Korea: a text network and topic modeling approach: Young Gyu Kwon, Daun Jeong, Song Hee Park, Mi Kyung Kim, Chan Woong Kim; J Korean Acad Nurs 2025;55(3):388-399. Published online July 30, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4040/jkan.25038

Abstract PDF ePub: Purpose
This study quantitatively examined the portrayal of physician assistant (PA) nurses in Korean media by integrating text network analysis with latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) topic modeling.
Methods
A total of 3,564 news articles published by nine major Korean media outlets between 2020 and 2024 were analyzed. Content analysis was conducted using term frequency-inverse document frequency calculations, network centrality analysis, and LDA topic modeling to extract key terms, map discourse structures, and identify latent topics.
Results
The analysis identified four primary topics in Korean media discourse: “healthcare workforce expansion policies” (30.4%), “hospital clinical practice and operational management” (23.5%), “institutionalization of the PA nursing role” (17.8%), and “COVID-19 response and public health crisis management” (28.3%). High-centrality keywords included “hospital,” “medical,” “patient,” “physician,” “government,” and “nurse,” indicating that the discourse primarily focused on clinical settings. Topic modeling revealed a major shift from pandemic-centered coverage in 2020 to a focus on healthcare workforce policy and PA nurse institutionalization in 2024, coinciding with the passage of the Nursing Act.
Conclusion
This study provides empirical evidence suggesting that the portrayal of PA nurses in Korean media discourse evolved from a peripheral regulatory issue to a central healthcare delivery solution, particularly in the contexts of workforce management, clinical practice, and crisis response. Our findings suggest that PA nurse institutionalization received broader attention when positioned as part of systemic healthcare improvements addressing concrete clinical needs. These results offer valuable insights for policymakers and administrators in framing and implementing workforce policy reforms.

487 View
27 Download

Comparison of educational needs and priorities for work-related laws between hospital and community-based nurses: Jeonghyun Kim, Min Kyoung Han, Minjae Lee, Sujin Shin; J Korean Acad Nurs 2025;55(3):400-412. Published online August 21, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4040/jkan.25049

Abstract PDF ePub: Purpose
This study aimed to examine the practical utilization of work-related laws in nursing practice and to prioritize educational needs to provide foundational data for improving nurses’ legal competencies.
Methods
A descriptive survey was employed using an online self-reported questionnaire. Participants included 275 nurses with over 3 years of clinical experience, categorized into hospital and community-based. Convenience sampling was used, and data were collected between January 9 and February 3, 2025. Descriptive statistics and the paired t-test were conducted using IBM SPSS 26.0. Educational needs were analyzed using the Borich Needs Assessment and the Locus for Focus model.
Results
Among participants, 75.6% had received education on work-related laws, and 79.3% of those participants received related education during their undergraduate studies. However, 32.4% of nurses reported experiencing practice related difficulties due to insufficient legal knowledge, particularly related to unclear legal responsibilities and ambiguity in the scope of practice. High educational needs were identified for the Nursing Act and the Labor Standards Act across all workplaces. Hospital nurses emphasized the Hospice and Palliative Care Act and Emergency Medical Services Act, while community-based nurses prioritized the Mental Health Welfare Act, Elderly Welfare Act, and Dementia Management Act.
Conclusion
Nurses’ legal education needs are related to practical applications and their capability to respond appropriately to legal requirements, and these needs vary depending on their work environment and social changes. These findings underscore the necessity of restructuring legal education curricula to improve practical relevance and support nurses’ rights, providing a basis for developing workplace-specific legal education programs.

315 View
39 Download

Development of a scale to measure fear of falling in older adults: a psychometric validation study: Dayeon Lee, Sunghee H Tak; J Korean Acad Nurs 2025;55(3):413-424. Published online August 21, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4040/jkan.25036

Abstract PDF ePub: Purpose
This study aimed to develop a scale to measure fear of falling in older adults and to validate its reliability and validity.
Methods
In total, 31 initial items were developed by referring to expressions from previous studies and items from existing instruments. After verifying content validity through expert evaluation, the remaining 27 items were used to construct a survey. Data from 252 participants recruited at three senior welfare centers in the metropolitan area were analyzed to examine item analysis, construct validity, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and reliability. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to test construct validity. The correlation with the Korean version of the Falls Efficacy Scale-International (KFES-I) was used to assess convergent validity. Cronbach’s alpha was calculated to determine reliability.
Results
The final instrument consisted of 21 items. CFA confirmed acceptable model fit. Convergent validity was also acceptable and discriminant validity was partially supported. Correlations with the KFES-I ranged from .54 to .63. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for the total score and all factors ranged from .84 to .97.
Conclusion
The Fear of Falling Scale for Older Adults developed in this study is a validated tool capable of measuring various dimensions of fear of falling. It provides a foundation for accurately assessing fear of falling in older adults and addressing its specific aspects.

374 View
43 Download

Life changes following trauma in female burn survivors: a narrative inquiry: Riah Kim, Inyoung Choe, Ji-Su Yun, Heeseung Choi; J Korean Acad Nurs 2025;55(3):425-439. Published online August 1, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4040/jkan.25003

Abstract PDF ePub: Purpose
Burn survivors endure repeated exposure to intense pain and face recurring trauma throughout social adaptation. This study explored how female burn survivors construct the meaning of their traumatic experience of a burn accident and the subsequent changes in their lives.
Methods
A qualitative study was conducted using narrative inquiry. Participants were recruited through purposive sampling, and each engaged in three in-depth interviews, resulting in a total of 21 interviews between April 18, 2024, and August 1, 2024. Each interview lasted 90 minutes on average and was conducted in a comfortable location preferred by the participants. The collected data were analyzed through Connelly and Clandinin’s approach.
Results
The participants were seven women with burns on the full body, face-upper limbs, or face-torso. All burns were third- to fourth-degree, and most participants had lived with these injuries for over 10 years. From the significant statements, five themes and 12 subthemes were extracted. The five themes were “unforeseen catastrophe,” “burn scars encroaching upon daily life,” “navigating life as an incomplete woman,” “exclusion from social integration,” and “the meaning of life deepened by suppressed pain.”
Conclusion
Female burn survivors experienced immense hardships following their accidents. However, through their recovery efforts, they found new meaning in life, experienced a renewed sense of being alive, and achieved inner growth and maturity. This study highlights the need for social support and underscores the importance of providing various opportunities and policy assistance for female burn survivors dealing with trauma.

555 View
35 Download

The experiences of infertile women discontinuing in vitro fertilization treatment: a grounded theory approach: Eunmi Park, Yeoungsuk Song; J Korean Acad Nurs 2025;55(3):440-453. Published online August 11, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4040/jkan.25048

Abstract PDF ePub: Purpose
This study aimed to develop a situation-specific theory by gaining an in-depth understanding of the deterrent processes experienced by infertile women who have discontinued in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures, within the socio-cultural context of South Korea.
Methods
The participants were 16 infertile women who discontinued IVF procedures. Data were collected through individual in-depth interviews from February to December 2023. Theoretical sampling was conducted, and the transcribed interview contents were analyzed using Strauss and Corbin’s grounded theory method.
Results
In total, 37 concepts and 14 categories were extracted through the open coding process. The central phenomenon in axial coding was “Distress caused by the discontinuation of IVF treatment.” The core category was “A journey to break free from the identity of infertility toward self-determined womanhood.” The results were categorized into two types: “Detachment from the framework of attempting pregnancy” and “A continued longing for the fulfillment of a traditional family.” The situation-specific theory was the “Theory of reconstructing subjective identity through the acceptance of childfree life,” which illustrates how infertile women actively redefine their life trajectories after discontinuing IVF treatment.
Conclusion
This study highlights the importance of public perceptions about infertile women who discontinue IVF procedures, which are seen as the last resort of assisted reproductive technology, because positive perceptions assists women in living a self-governing life. It may be necessary to develop educational and promotional programs to change negative social perceptions and to establish a psycho-social support system for infertile women who have been deterred from IVF procedures.

320 View
27 Download

Work system analysis of health management for individuals with disabilities in supportive housing: a focus group study using the SEIPS framework: Haesun Lee, Hye Jin Nam, Bohye Kim, Ju Young Yoon; J Korean Acad Nurs 2025;55(3):454-467. Published online August 4, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4040/jkan.25018

Abstract PDF ePub: Purpose
This study conducted a work-system analysis using the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) framework to assess the flow of health-related information, and the current status of health management tasks for individuals with disabilities (IWD) in supportive housing.
Methods
This qualitative study utilized focus groups. Participants included a head of supportive housing, a team leader, a care coordinator and three personal support workers for IWD. Semi-structured interviews were guided by the SEIPS framework to explore the components of persons, tasks, tools and technology, organization, and environments.
Results
This study identified five key themes within the five SEIPS components: (1) disparities in role identity and health literacy among staff, (2) challenges in health care support reflecting a person-centered approach, (3) barriers in health-related information exchange and communication tools, (4) needs for organizational strategies or information communication, and (5) needs for integrating health-related information across external healthcare institutions. Additionally, 10 sub-themes were identified.
Conclusions
These findings provide a comprehensive system-wide perspective and offer insights into the systematic approaches needed to improve healthcare processes and structures within disability supportive housing. Specifically, healthcare providers and effective tools for integrating health-related information are identified as critical components.

320 View
24 Download

Research trends in generative artificial intelligence in nursing: a scoping review: Myung Jin Choi, Myoung Hee Seo, Jihun Kim, Sunmi Kim, Seok Hee Jeong; J Korean Acad Nurs 2025;55(3):468-487. Published online August 5, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4040/jkan.25006

Abstract PDF ePub: Purpose
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has yet to be comprehensively analyzed in the nursing literature. This study aimed to identify research trends in generative AI within the nursing field through a scoping review and propose strategies for its effective utilization in nursing.
Methods
A scoping review was conducted following Arksey and O’Malley’s six-stage framework. The inclusion criteria included: (1) studies conducted in nursing; (2) research related to generative AI; and (3) original research articles, theses, communications, editorials, letters, or commentaries published in academic journals. Database used PubMed, Embase, CENTRAL, CINAHL, KMbase, KoreaMed, KISS, ScienceON, RISS, DBpia, and 27 nursing-specific journals.
Results
In total, 403 studies were initially identified, and 58 were included in the final analysis. In the care domain, strengths included rapid information retrieval and improved nurse-patient communication, while limitations included the irreplaceable human element and low reliability. The administration domain had no relevant studies. In the research domain, generative AI exhibited strengths such as enhanced efficiency in the paper writing process and improved dissemination speed, but its weaknesses included lack of ethical and legal accountability and a risk of inaccurate or biased information. In the education domain, generative AI was effective in saving time in educational design and implementation, as well as supporting content creation, but challenges included algorithmic bias and risks of plagiarism.
Conclusion
This study identified potential benefits and limitations of generative AI across nursing domains. For effective application, it is essential to develop comprehensive guidelines and policies, provide user education and support, and create opportunities for nurses, educators, and students to learn about strengths and risks of generative AI.

1,397 View
112 Download

Current issue